A new era in computing and the power of AI: presenting the retail technology week in numbers

Do you like numbers? Do you like retail tech news? Then this is the article for you. Including Alibaba, Medallia, InPost UK, HyperFinity, Shoptalk Europe 2026, Tesco, Hanshow, Amazon, The Entertainer, Disney Store, lululemon, Boots, and Snap Inc.

71%...Alibaba has released insights from more than 15,000 applications it has received to date for its global CoCreate Pitch competition. The findings reveal that AI is rapidly reshaping entrepreneurship, with 71% of applicants identifying as one-person businesses, up from 40% in last year’s competition. 

Of these solo founders, 89% said AI tools are essential to their entrepreneurial journey, helping them fill critical capability gaps in areas such as industrial design, coding and marketing. Over 70% of entrepreneur applicants to the CoCreate Pitch competition are now building with AI, a significant jump from last year. This surge is cross-generational, with usage rates surpassing 80% across all age groups, from Gen Z to Millennials to Gen Xers born before 1980.

Alibaba announced the return of CoCreate Pitch last month, with a total prize pool of more than $1 million and competition finals taking place in both the US and Europe. The competition has received applications from entrepreneurs across 132 countries to date. 

“This year’s application trends show that AI is rewriting the rules of entrepreneurship and fueling the rise of one-person companies, making it possible for one person to accomplish in a single day what used to require multiple specialists,” says Liz Wang, Global Head of Commercial Strategy at Alibaba.com. 

“We reduced the CoCreate Pitch application form to just six fields because AI can understand the depth behind even a simple pitch, instantly identifying pain points, logic and potential. This points to the future of agent-to-agent commerce, where AI can interact with suppliers, logistics providers and factories on a business owner’s behalf, helping small businesses compete and win in the next era.”

$150 million and $5 billion...Medallia, a specialist in customer and employee experiences, has entered into a recapitalisation agreement with its lenders that, it claims, will strengthen its financial foundation for long-term growth. The transaction will reduce its outstanding debt and provide $150 million of new capital. Upon completion, Medallia will change ownership from Thoma Bravo to an investor group led by Blackstone, Apollo, and FS KKR Capital Corp (FSK).

Thoma Bravo will lose all of the $5 billion it invested in Medallia when it took the company private in 2021. Its loss is the second largest in the private equity industry’s history, exceeded only by the collapse of Texas utility TXU.

Medallia was founded in 2001 and went public on the New York Stock Exchange in 2019 before being taken private in 2021. Eighteen months ago, a new executive team joined and looked to reinvent the business for an AI first market, with a focus on modernising operations, and sharpening strategic focus while maintaining profitability.

“Today’s announcement marks a significant milestone towards the next generation of AI led enterprise experience management,” says Mark Bishof, CEO at Medallia. “The transformation of Medallia has been well underway - what changes today is the pace. With a strengthened balance sheet and $150 million in new capital, we are accelerating our commitment to invest over $500 million in products and services for our customers over the next few years.”

“Medallia is a profitable business with a strong track record serving many of the largest companies in the world,” says Brad Marshall, Global Head of Private Credit Strategies at Blackstone. “We’re confident in the business under this new capital structure and look forward to supporting its plans to invest in this next phase of innovation and growth.”

15,000...InPost UK, an out of home parcel locker provider, reports that it has reached 15,000 lockers nationwide, meaning that millions of consumers now have access to 24/7 parcel collection and returns, with locations in supermarkets, retail parks, transport hubs and residential areas.

Paul Selvey, Network Director at InPost UK, says: “Reaching 15,000 lockers is a significant milestone, but it also reflects a bigger shift in how delivery is expected to work. For years, delivery has been designed around cost and convenience at checkout, not around what actually works for the people receiving parcels. That’s why failure rates are so high, because the system was never built around the end user.”

“When consumers are given real choice, behaviour changes fast. More control, more certainty, delivery that fits around how people actually live. That’s what out of home enables and why it’s no longer a niche preference. It’s becoming the expectation.”

$2,195...Snap Inc. has unveiled SPECS, a wearable computer built into see-through augmented reality glasses. SPECS are available for pre-order today at SPECS.COM for $2,195 with a $200 refundable deposit, and are expected to ship this autumn in the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

“SPECS are the beginning of a new era in computing,” says Evan Spiegel, Co-founder and CEO at Snap Inc. “For decades, computers have asked us to look down, sit still, or step out of the moment. SPECS bring computing into the world around us where we live, work, learn, create, and connect.”

91%...A study by HyperFinity of 200 retail decision-makers has found that, while AI has become a strategic priority across the retail sector, many organisations are still grappling with how to turn ambition into measurable business outcomes.

91% of retailers feel either moderate or significant pressure to adopt AI in order to remain competitive. 53% describe AI as one of the most important initiatives within their business, while a further 39% say competitor activity is influencing their roadmap.

Despite widespread enthusiasm, many retailers are still struggling to translate investment into a coherent strategy. Only 46% of respondents say they have a well defined strategy supported by clear value cases. Meanwhile, 42% have identified potential use cases but remain uncertain about the commercial value they will deliver.

The research also highlights concerns around resourcing readiness, with just 27% of retailers reporting their teams are fully prepared for agentic AI deployment. A quarter described their workforce as only somewhat ready. A further 5% admit they are not ready at all.

“This research tells us that, as AI adoption accelerates, retailers face increasing pressure to develop the skills, governance frameworks and operating models needed to support long-term success,” comments Thomas Hill, Co-Founder at HyperFinity.

2...Disney Store has announced the opening of two new retail destinations inside Selfridges Birmingham and Selfridges Manchester Trafford stores. 

Planned to launch in mid-July, the new concession spaces build on a Disney Store presence within Selfridges London and the flagship Disney Store on Oxford Street. Both locations will feature a curated selection of apparel, accessories, stationery, limited plush, collectibles and roleplay inspired collections. They will also include fitting rooms.

Patrick Segar, Global General Manager of The Disney Store and VP, Retail Marketing of Disney Store, says: “We are excited to continue expanding our physical retail presence in the UK through our collaboration with Selfridges. These new locations allow us to bring Disney Store closer to even more fans and families across the country, creating new opportunities for guests to connect with some of the stories, characters and products they love.”

“Disney Store is more than just a place to shop - it is a destination where fans can celebrate their love for Disney and immerse themselves in the wonder of storytelling through curated products, immersive retail environments and memorable experiences.”

Further details surrounding official opening dates, launch activity and guest experiences will be announced in the near future.

9 million...Cybersecurity company Huntress says that it has uncovered a large scale scam campaign that impersonated UK health and beauty retailer Boots, targeting nearly nine million email inboxes. 

The campaign promised a free beauty sample pack in exchange for completing a short customer satisfaction survey. Anyone who took the bait was walked through a realistic looking fake Boots storefront and asked to hand over their name, email address, date of birth, phone number, home address, and ultimately their payment card details, under the guise of covering a delivery fee. 

What makes this particularly striking is how the scammers pulled it off, Huntress observes. Rather than building their own suspicious looking website, they broke into the real website of a Bolivian government cultural institute and hosted the fake Boots store there. A government web address looks legitimate, passes automated spam filters, and gives victims no obvious reason for suspicion.

They also didn't use their own computer to send the emails. Instead, they quietly broke into a small UK business's server, installed legitimate bulk mailing software (the kind businesses use for newsletters), and were in the process of firing off emails to 8.9 million addresses when Huntress's security team caught them and shut it down. The small business had no idea any of this was happening. 

Huntress says that it has shared its findings with Bolivia's national cybersecurity authority. Its full research, including screenshots of the fake Boots survey exactly as victims would have seen it, can be found here.

3,000...Tesco is set to roll-out electronic shelf labels across its stores over the next two years. It is teaming with Chinese firm Hanshow on this.

This builds on a proof of concept in 2025 with VusionGroup and Hanshow to evaluate ESLs in select stores, with the aim of reducing labour costs and enhancing pricing accuracy.

The project will kick off in four stores - one Express and three supermarket locations - and will ultimately cover approximately 3,000 stores.

"The roll-out of digital shelf labels marks an important step in the modernisation of our stores, delivering benefits for both customers and colleagues," says Tesco UK Operations Managing Director Kevin Tindall.

4,500 and 25,000...Shoptalk Europe 2026 concluded a three-day run in Barcelona last week. The event brought together more than 4,500 senior retail and technology leaders, brands, service providers, investors and startups, and over 25,000 co-matched business meetings were conducted through Shoptalk’s Meetup programme.

With the rise of artificial intelligence, shifting consumer priorities and the macro forces reshaping European commerce all on the agenda, Shoptalk Europe 2026 sent a clear message: the industry is in a period of fundamental transformation, and the brands that will win are focused on executing with technological and cultural precision, while embracing flexibility, enhanced personalisation and the agility required to operate and trial new innovations in the unknown.

Three themes emerged as the defining threads of the conversation: the growing gap between AI adoption and measurable business impact; the structural pressures, including a deepening consumer trust deficit, bearing down on European retailers; and the rise of discovery led commerce in lieu of search first.

Adam Plom, VP of Content at Shoptalk Europe, says: "Agentic commerce has become the defining phrase of Shoptalk Europe, used to describe everything from assisted to fully delegated shopping experiences. What's equally clear is that the European retail community expects technology to deliver real business impact while keeping people firmly at the centre - and while fully delegated shopping is still around the corner, the roleof the human, from colleague empowerment to genuine consumer engagement, is where the industry is planting its flag."

AI in retail dominated conversations, with particular focus on the gap between adoption and execution or impact. Leading a talk on how the retailer is navigating Europe’s macro shifts, David Schröder, Co-CEO, Zalando said the company’s AI assistant grew from six million users in 2025, to 10 million users in Q1 2026 alone, with 90% of site content now AI generated, up from near-zero a year ago.

$600,000...Mimir has closed a $600k pre-seed round led by Sondo Capital, alongside Nordic tech and e-commerce angel investors.

Founded in 2024 by Jørgen Vartdal Halse, Jens Kristoffersen, and Øyvind Monsen, Mimir started as an AI native customer support platform specifically designed for B2C e-commerce companies. Today, it handles a quarter of a million customer conversations per month for ~60 brands across five countries, working with the likes of VILLOID, HiFi Klubben and Holzweiler.

“Customer support is only the starting point. Our vision is to automate the operational work that slows e-commerce teams down, while giving consumers instant, personalised help around the clock. This funding round allows us to further accelerate product development, double the team, and save more time and money for e-commerce brands," says Jørgen Vartdal Halse, CEO and Co-Founder at Mimir.

Instead of adding AI on top of legacy systems, Mimir is pitched as a fully AI native operations platform specifically for B2C e-commerce. It understands orders, deliveries, returns, and products, can handle tasks end-to-end, and is tailored to the brand’s existing systems and workflows.

“We truly believe that customer service and e-commerce operations as we know it will be dramatically changed with AI. The Mimir team embodies exactly what we’re looking for; technically strong founders that combine a great product with a real market pull in a massive market," says Henrik Hatlebrekke, General Partner & Co-Founder at Sondo Capital.

4...lululemon has officially entered Romania through its franchise partnership with Arion Retail Group, marking the company’s fourth new market entry in 2026. This follows entries with franchise partners in Poland and Hungary in March and Greece in May.

The new store is located at Băneasa Shopping City in Bucharest. By mid-June, there will be eight new lululemon store openings across EMEA in a six-week period. This includes two locations in Istanbul, in addition to the recently added pop-up store in The Bodrum EDITION with another store to open later this month in the Yalikavak Marina, all through the company’s franchise partner Fiba Retail.

Additionally, a second location will soon open in Athens, Greece in partnership with Arion Retail Group, and last month, a new company owned store in Birmingham, UK opened, becoming the brand’s 24th location in the country since launching in London in 2014. 

Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President, EMEA, lululemon, says: “This year we’ve expanded our presence across some of the fastest-growing markets across central and eastern Europe and our launch into Romania is our latest milestone. Bucharest is such a dynamic city with an active wellbeing network, including local and international studios, health clubs, and holistic fitness experiences. The response from the local community during opening week has been exciting and shows the strength of the opportunity ahead.”

lululemon now has stores and a digital presence in 23 markets across EMEA through a mix of owned and franchised operations. This summer, there will be another new market entry through the company’s franchise model into Austria with the opening of a store in Vienna. India will follow later this year.

£4 million...The Entertainer reports that it has raised £4 million for four children’s hospitals through its partnership with micro-donation charity Pennies.

The UK’s largest toy retailer hit the £1 million mark for each of the four children’s hospitals it supports in the UK: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Bristol Children’s Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

Customer micro-donations were made at tills in 150+ stores. The donations raised have helped fund vital care, specialist equipment and support services for seriously ill children and their families across the UK.

"Play is at the heart of everything we do, so supporting causes that bring comfort, hope and moments of joy to seriously ill children feels deeply important to us,” says Andrew Murphy, Group Chief Executive Officer of The Entertainer. “We’re incredibly proud to have reached this significant milestone, which is a testament to the generosity of our customers and the value of our partnership with Pennies.”

1...Amazon has launched its first ever Summer of Football storefront, pitched as a one stop destination for the items/products that fans need to enjoy 2026 World Cup matches this summer.

This includes official merchandise from Nike and Puma including England, France, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Austria, and Switzerland, as well as tournament favourites like official mascot plushies, the LEGO Official Trophy Building Set, and the Panini World FIFA Sticker Collection Box.

Same-day and next-day delivery is available on all products for Prime members nationwide. With Amazon Now also available in select London postcodes, shoppers can get delivery of thousands of groceries and household essentials in as little as 30 minutes. London customers in eligible postcodes can shop from a selection of essentials including crisps, ice cream, easy meals, fruit, veg and dips, drinks, ice, BBQ food, hay fever relief, suncream, power banks, washing detergent and kitchen roll.

£335,000...Friday4:30, a platform enabling food brands and manufacturers to manage and log issues from first alert to resolution, has gained a £335,000 investment from venture capital company Haatch.

London-based Friday4:30 is the brainchild of incident management expert Emma Sykes and her son Jack, who created a platform based on his mother’s knowledge. The pair say incident management is too often unprepared, disorganised and frequently leads to a ‘Friday 4.30 moment’, where a response is created ad hoc, late in the day.

“Food and beverage has and always will face incidents, from single product failures to full scale production line shutdowns. But, in a world where news travels faster than any response can, the stakes have never been higher. I've personally dealt with hundreds of incidents. Every single one needs to be handled in a systematic way,” says Emma Sykes.  

She worked directly with food brands helping them overcome issues and incidents. “Over the years, I built a structured approach, and often said: ‘I wish someone could take what’s in my head and create software from it.’ When Jack decided to do just that, I was really thrilled by the possibilities. The businesses that come through incidents well aren't the ones with the biggest teams. They're the ones who are prepared."

Jack Sykes ran his own business while studying at Edinburgh University, creating work experience places for students at startups. His interest in technology first began when he took an online course run by Harvard University during the Covid period.

“I am not a coder, but I knew what I wanted to achieve, and there are some incredible tools that meant we could create a prototype of the product. I’d picked up so much over the years from listening to Emma and had a pretty clear idea of what incident response and preparedness involved. It's about bringing together the many moving parts. Incidents aren't always about a product or a service. They can be industry or business wide. The platform removes the need for crisis manuals, the scramble to get the right people in a room, and the age-old problem of institutional knowledge walking out the door, whether that's someone on holiday or someone who's left the business entirely."